Growing Cape Gooseberry, also Golden Berry, Inca Berry

Physalis peruviana : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
              S        
              T T      
              P P      

(Best months for growing Cape Gooseberry in Australia - arid regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 77°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 39 - 59 inches apart
  • Harvest in 14-16 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Will happily grow in a flower border but tends to sprawl over other plants.

Your comments and tips

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19 Sep 18, Gerry McCarthy (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
We are growing physalis in the Kenya highlands for the past 15 months. Have many questions and would love to connect with a south african grower/growers to chat further. Thanks.
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02 Mar 18, Veronica (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I have bought some gooseberries and would like to plant them. Have grown them b4 by throwing rotten ones onto soil and it grew huge. But want to grow them for my parrot
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01 Dec 17, Collins Kiprop (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I've soon realized my Cape Gooseberry stem have become fragile. Whenever I turn the branch or stem it tend to damage yet there is little water and manure in the soil. What mineral or deficiency is my Gooseberry suffering from?
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06 Jul 17, GARY THOMPSON (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
are gooseberry seeds for sale available, or can one simply re-plant a ripe fruit to restart new seedlings? I just happen to have discovered a few plants on the property I'm currently renting.
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28 Jul 17, Berney (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
You can sow seeds from the ripe fruitm
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17 Jun 17, Colleen (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
We have a healthy plant with loads of fruit which never ripen. In a planter that gets afternoon Sun. Why do you think the fruit doesn't get ripe ?
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23 May 17, Marilize du Toit (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
When do I prune a gooseberry bush. We live in the southern Cape so winter rainfall area. bush has just become overgrown
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24 May 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
If you get frosts in your area it would be better to prune them after frosts have finished. Cutting them back now would promote some new growth which could be damaged by frosts.
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04 Apr 17, Arlene Davis (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
The leaves of my cape gooseberry plant has white spots and is turning brown. The pod has black - looks like fungal growth inside. Is there a home remedy for this and can the fruit be eaten?
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05 Apr 17, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Sounds very much like a fungal problem to me. Many organic gardeners use a 10% milk solution in water to control mildew. You could give this a try as a first resort. Using a copper based spray is also okay. To prevent fungal problems plants need good air circulation particularly in humid areas. If your plant is dense it may be a good idea to thin it out a bit, cape gooseberries are normally treated as an annual so save some seeds and plant them in the spring in a sunny, airy spot. Trust this helps.
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Showing 11 - 20 of 48 comments
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Hi, i live in Ontario. I got a golden berry in the husk from the market. i saved the seeds as folows: open the fruit, squeeze all flesh and fruit in a strainer. Wash it well, the flesh will separate. Pick it up and wash the seeds some more. Then you can put them on a paper towel to dry, they will stick to that but you can plant them with the paper, no problem. Or put them on a plate, let them dry well adn the bag them or plant them. I planted about half the seeds. Cover lightly with soil and i set them under growing lights, covered. I started them in January, they took about 3 weeks to emerge, uncovered and let them grow under lights. Potted them up. They say do not fetilize, but the leaves came yellow with green stripes, so i fed them fish emulsion diluted. They grew beautiful. Fed them about 3 times only. Never since. It is end of May and couple of them have a handfull of flowers. I experimented with pinching the top. Online they say do not pinch, let them grow 9 to 12 nodes and they will split naturally. true. The ones not pinched split and the first flowers grows right there. The pinched ones do not have any flowers yet, they are bushier though. I will plant them out in sandy soil in a week. I will save seeds this year and can send to anyone in Canada wanting to try. They are annuals in zone 5 so you need to start them every year. Very easy to grow, and if they make 150 to 300 fruits per plant it is well worth it. In the husk they store up to 3 months at room temperature. I can let you know how long will take from seed to fruit. Have fun !!!

- Adela

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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